Financial Consulting Director - Payroll Services
About the role
RSM’s Payroll Services practice helps middle-market clients design, run, and optimize payroll across multiple HCM platforms and geographies. As Global Director, Payroll Outsourcing, you will lead the strategy, delivery, and growth of our managed payroll outsourcing offering U.S. domestic, multi-country, and emergency/temporary engagements and shape how our team delivers in the era of AI-enabled work (Microsoft Copilot + Cowork).
Responsibilities
Practice leadership: Define and execute the global payroll outsourcing strategy – service catalog, country coverage model, pricing architecture, and delivery technology (including Copilot + Cowork adoption).
Service Quality and Assurance: Own P&L for the managed payroll book: utilization, margin, realization, and revenue growth. Establish SLAs, KPIs, and continuous-improvement rhythms. Drive efficiencies to improve client experience and margin growth.
Client Relationship: Establish and maintain trust with clients and engage in continuous QBR and status activities focused on client satisfaction and growth opportunities.
Client leadership: Lead complex payroll transitions and transformations (ADP – Workday, Dayforce stand-ups, UKG Ready optimizations, multi-country consolidations). Serve as executive sponsor and escalation owner on flagship engagements.
Growth: Partner with sales and account leadership to qualify, scope, price, and win managed payroll opportunities; build alliances with HCM vendors and in-country payroll providers.
Team: Lead and grow a multi-disciplinary team of payroll managers, analysts, and SMEs; build a global delivery bench (onshore + nearshore/offshore) aligned to demand.
Delivery and Execution: Execute on tactical tasks as required to ensure successful client delivery.
Requirements
14+ years of progressive payroll leadership, including 5+ years running global/multi-country payroll operations or outsourced delivery at scale.
Deep U.S. multi-state payroll expertise plus practical experience coordinating in-country Global payroll across multiple regions.
Demonstrated success leading large-scale payroll transformations across systems such as ADP, Workday Payroll, Dayforce, and/or UKG Ready/Pro.
Strong consulting orientation: comfortable scoping, pricing, and presenting to leadership audiences; experience leading complex escalations and turnarounds.
Bachelor’s degree or Associate's or equivalent working payroll experience.
CPP, FPC, or international payroll credential (e.g., GPMI) preferred.
Preferred: Big Four, large consulting, BPO, or HCM vendor delivery leadership background; hands-on familiarity applying AI assistants (Copilot, Cowork) to payroll operations; experience standing up nearshore/offshore payroll delivery centers.
Qualifications
Preferably, you have a track record of owning a managed-services P&L or sizable client portfolio with measurable growth and margin outcomes.